ROUTE HELP PLEASE

timtim

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Hi Guys,
Off to Pyrenees in September, travelling down from Rotterdam after taking the Hull North Sea Ferry.
Would like to see some of the battlefield sites, ww1 and ww11. Allowing 3 days to get to a place called Hautes, just on the French side, so would like to take in some nice GS roads.
Not booked any accomodation for the way down, so any recommendations welcome.
Thanks...:beer:
 
I had to Google Hautes, just to find out where it is. It helps if you could provide a Google maps link.

If you are looking for directions, places to see, great roads, please consider supplying the following basic information:

You have reserved three days to get from Holland to the Pyrenees, on good roads and to see sites.

Do you want to see things on your return ride, too?

if so, how long have you reserved to make the return journey, Hautes to Holland?

The majority of British WW1 sites are in the main to the north east or eastern side of upper France. The main WW2 sites are to the NW (Normandy) or the general Ardennes area, roughly NE, closer to Belgium. Trecking to Normandy is possible, but it very much depends on the answer to the two questions above and a part to some below. Look at a map.

You could also consider the WW2 'V-weapons' sites, in the Pas-de-Calais (NE France, conveniently).

Someone is bound to suggest Oradour for a WW2 site, they always do. This is roughly mid-way down the western side of France. Possible to do too, but again it depends on the answers to the questions. Again, look at a map.

More questions?

Yup, here they are:

Do you think 200 miles in a day is a long way? Some bods do and why not. France is a big country, so consider your honest answer carefully.

Do you want to start at 10:00 AM, stop to take pictures / press wild flowers / have coffee, kick off the shoes at lunchtime and be sitting in the bar by 16:00 at the latest?

Are you prepared to forego some 'great roads' for a motorway, if it means you could see a WW1 / WW2 site, too and still make it to Hautes inside three days?

Accommodation hints? Not much use if those suggested do not match in with where you need to be.

Have you got a decent map or two or are you relying on a PC and a Garmin or, worse, a TomTom?

====

My honest suggestion.

You can do much of this yourself and it is quite fun. A lot of what you need to know is already on UKGSer or on the internet. OK, you may need to do some mixing and matching. It's called a vague plan, if your current idea is not already vague enough :D

Arm yourself with a decent map or two (see sticky). Put a pin in the port and another in Hautes. Now divide the distance between the two points into thirds, 1/3 for each day for the sake of this exercise and now look at the scale.

Can you ride each third in a day and still see something and do great roads? If so, you are starting to cook on gas... which is good!

Are there any sites that you want to see (or indeed any at all) on any of the three legs, which will still leave you time to get each leg competed and get to Hautes, in order to do whatever it is you plan to do in Hautes?

The 'best' ones may well be the V-weapon sites mentioned above. I might be tempted to do one of them; half a day (or the better part of a morning or afternoon) so you are now down to two and a half days. Stop at another site, too? Another half a day vanishes and you now have two days. You get the picture.... :beerjug:

PS The Michelin route planning map (see sticky) will be your real friend. Trust me. Pick out many of the roads shown on the map. You will not go far wrong.
 
Along with other suggestions you are bound to find throughout the site, I would suggest if you are going to Oradour-Sur-Glane (there is a thread somewhere about Oradour) that you take in the Volcanic Parc specifically Puy Mary on route down to the Pyrenees maybe even ride down too and under the Millau (many threads on the Millau) This South middle region of France (Central Massif) is often missed when people plan trips south. There are some route maps/books on www.bestbikingroads.com which take in this region. There is also a little known museum to the Marquis (french resistance in the Limousin area) at Payrat le Chateau which is on the D940 going south a good ride and it goes a fair way down to the Midi Pyrenees...

I would say 3 days means you can enjoy the country roads as opposed to the N and A roads.

I am sure you will get loads of route advice, so which everway you go enjoy the road.
 
9782067122215.jpg
 
I am assuming this is the place?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Hau...0.131836&sspn=11.945869,23.774414&z=9&iwloc=A

If so, you may find this thread helpful:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197540&highlight=miss

Three days down.

Not bad roads (see thread for the bit I would change)

Hotels

But no doffing hat at war sites....



.....Though you could of course do something a bit unusual........

.....Instead of the run'o'the mill shoot-em up places, go to have a look at Poitiers, site of the great ENGLISH victory in 1356. It was in September, too. So you could be there on the very day of the battle, only 665 years late!


The_battle_of_Poitiers.jpg



The Black Prince, chivalry and all that old stuff. You are not a million miles away

487px-Battle_poitiers_maneuvering.gif


In fact, it would make a great tour (and one I may well do myself) as you could go and look at Fontevraud, too.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Fon...47.184079,0.015163&sspn=0.043401,0.092869&z=7

and pay homage - as so many pilgrims seeking a miracle have done - at the tomb of Richard the Lionheart, his father Henry and, not least, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine..... all of whom trundled about France (and the Holy Land) with some considerable success without a GPS :D

15_3_40.gif




http://www.themcs.org/places/MCS France Tour 2006/MCS 2006 France Tour.htm


Warming to my theme, starting in NE France you will be near Agincourt and Crecy. Do them and then go on to Poitiers, via Fontevraud. You will then have done all of the great 100 Years War sites (proper wars in them days, none of that four or five year nonsense) and celebrated the ENGLISH stuffing it up Johnny Frog (Hoorah, we cry) all without any help from the Yanks (not even they have tried to make a film that changed that much history).

15_3_42.gif


...........and still make it to the Pyrenees near enough on time :beerjug:





PS The duplicitous garlic munchers spell Agincourt with a 'z'.... Don't confuse it with the other one, which they spell with a 'g'. They do it to fool visitors.
 
Well done Richard :clap I didn't think it could be done - 3 days to the Pyrenees AND visit battle sites. I certainly couldn't do it on A roads. The suggestion of sites pre WW1 & WW2 is good too. A refreshing change to all the usual sites - moving as they can be when the weather is poor and you are alone, they become a little Disney-esque in the sunshine and with millions milling about. There are also some great books about for pre-visit reading. I recommend 'Azincourt' by Bernard Cornwell for a starter.

Your battle site suggestion is something I'll be using next year. Perhaps incorporating Crecy and Azincourt :thumb2

I too recommend the 'V' weapons sites of Eperleques, Mimoyeques and La Dole. Perfect if you get back to the Pas De Calais a day early and have a little time to kill.
 


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